4 



R. LOFTHOUSE : THE RIVER TEES. 



suggest that the river had at some remote time emptied at a higher 

 level, and covered much of the adjoining marshes and land which is 

 now under cultivation; or perhaps, more properly speaking, that the 

 beach had been raised. In the vicinity of the river, near Middles- 

 brough, are found patches of peat, in which occur large quantities of 

 timber, in most cases hard and sound, and with the bark still on. 

 In digging for drainage and foundation works, the stems of trees have 

 frequently to be sawn through at each side of the cutting ; in this 

 peat have also been found deer's horns in perfect condition. The 

 dredges of the Tees Conservancy Commissioners have at various 

 times brought to the surface semi-fossil remains. In the Albert Park 

 at Middlesbrough is a gigantic tree, dredged from the bed of the river 

 some years ago, and said to be oak; it is perfectly sound and 

 hard — indeed, sound enough to be made into furniture. I have also 

 seen a fairly perfect skull of an animal of the genus Bos (probably 

 Bos primigenius), which measured 2 ft. 4 in. across the horns — which 

 were, however, imperfect— 8 in. across the skull just below the horns, 

 io|- in. at the eyes, and i ft. 9 in. in height, though imperfect. 

 I have also seen part of a very large skull, probably a Mastodon, and 

 I a single vertebra (of some animal) fully a foot in diameter, and two 

 very large and perfect deer's horns, besides many other bones ; 

 these are all in private hands, and have not been examined by any 

 expert, so far as I am aware. 



Turning to the fauna of the Tees, if we look over the Ordnance 

 and other maps, we find many names suggestive of the same, some 

 of animals long since extinct. We have Seal Sand in the river 

 estuary, and Seal Goit on the coast beyond Saltburn, Wolviston and 

 Wolviston Grange on the north side of the river, and, as might be 

 expected, Cowpen in the same neighbourhood ; then we have Hart- 

 burn near Stockton, and Hart and Hartlepool on the adjoining coast, 

 and, of less significance. Hunter Hall and Cat Coat ; and on the 

 south side, Warrenby at the mouth of the river, Eaglescfiffe near 

 Yarm, and probably Ayrsome near Newport, North Hern near 

 Hartlepool, and Dabholm Beck adjoining Coatham Marshes. 



Seal Sand was, until within the last fifty years, the resort of vast 

 numbers of Seals, which bred there. They have, however, gradually 

 disappeared, though, up td the present time, seldom a year passes but 

 individuals are seen or procured. It could hardly be expected that 

 they would long survive the enormous development of the iron and 

 shipping trades, and the reclamation works which have been for 

 years going on in the river. In Meynell and Perkins' ' List of the 

 Mammalia of Northumberland and Durham,' it is stated that 

 'between 1820 and 1830 about 1,000 seals frequented the mouth of 



Naturalist, 



